Cylinder printing-press



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. T. HAWKINS.

CYLINDER PRINTING PRESS.

W/r/vzssm I l/vmm/rok n. PETERS. VIlolmLilhogmphar. Wnhinginn, n/c.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. T. HAWKINS.- Y GYLINDER PRINTING mass. NO. 257,578 "PatGnted May-Q, 1882.

(No Model.')' 4 Sheets- 811661; 3.

J. T. HAWKINS.

GYLINDER PRINTING PRESS.

No. 257,5?8. Patented May 9,1882.

1 a1. Maw

N. PETERS FhoIn-Lithugnplur. Washinglm D. C,

4 Sheets-sheaf, 4;

(No Mbdel.)

J. T. HAWKINS. CYLINDER PRINTING PRESS.

Patented May 9, 1882.

daw f N. PEYERS, Fhctn-Lillwgnphan Washing'un. D. C.

V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. HAWKINS, or TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CYLINDER PRINTING-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,578, dated May 9, 1882,

Application filed n l-n 18, 1851. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

'Be it known that I, Join: T. HAWKINS, of Taunton, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful lmprovementin Cylinder Printing-Presses, which improvement is fully set forth and illustrated in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

The objects of this invention are the same as those set forth in connection with a summary of the state of the art in the specification. of my invention in printingpresses, herewith filed and marked Case A; but the distinctive characteristic'of this invention is that the sheet is delivered tail first from the cylinder, instead of head first, by means of certain combinations of devices, which will now be described, as follows: i

In the said drawings, Figurelillustrates in side elevation a cylinder-press containing the improvementsconstitutingthisinvention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1, having the feed-board and part of the delivery-board omitted in order to more clearly exhibit'the delivery mechanism. Fig. 3 is a plan of the machine with the feed and delivery boards omitted for the purpose above mentioned. Figs. 4, 5, and 6illustrate details of the machine hereinafter described.

In the said figures the same parts are indicated by like letters, as follows:

The letter A indicates the side frames of the machine; B, the impression-cylinder; O, the

which, bythe'connecting'rod c, is connected to the shaft P, which serves as the axis or journal of the rolling pinion P. I

The stationary rack 15 is secured to the bed or roller-ways R of the framing of the machinefand a corresponding rack, E, is attached to the under side of the reciprocating bed of the press B, to and between which racks the rollinglpinion P is geared and rotates. J ournaled within the roller frame or carriage Kare a series of rollers, E, which are secured to shafts S S, as is likewise secured the pinion 1? totheshaft 1?, journaled in the said frame or carriage. traverse within the roller-ways R and support the bed B by its corresponding roller-ways, It. This arrangement gives to the bed arectilinear motion or length of travel double that im- The rollers E revolve and V the cylinder B to clear the types or form atthe proper time.

The cam F uponthe shaftG is of such form and secured in such position that, through the roller F, connecting-rod F and crank-arm F it operates at the proper time the three-way cock F The camV (not shown in Fig. 2, but shown in detail in Fig. 6) is of such form and so secured to shaft G that, through theroller V, connecting-rod V and crank-arm V on rock-shaft Vfi-itoperates at the proper time to lift the plunger 1) of a sin gle-acting air-pump,p. The plunger 1) is caused to descend by means of weights w, (not shown in Fig. 3,) placed upon the stem t of plunger 1), which weight w may be raised at will to regulate the pressure under which the air is expelled from beneath the plunger 12 after the roller V has left the crown of the cam V. A valve, 113, opens inward to admit air to the cylinder of the pump 19 as the plunger 19 is carried upward by the action of cam V. A pipe, 11 leads from the bottom of the pump 19 to the cock F Branch pipes 19 lead from the cock F and finally lead across the press under the feed-board and form supports for a series of stationary sheetguides, g. These pipes pass through the side frames, A. That part of the pipe 11 leading across the press is perforated with a line of (Shown in enlarged section in Fig. 5.) a

holes,h, so situated as to direct streams or jets ger-points of the sheet-guides g as the cylinder B commences to retrograde. That part of the pipe 12 which extends across the press is per forated with a line of holes, It, so placed as to direct streams of air in about a horizontal direction over the fly-board C for the purpose of supporting the sheet as it passes over the pile of paper already on the fly-board O, and

- preventing contact between it and the preceding sheet until it has arrived at the termination of its end motion in the course of its delivery. The points of the sheet-guides 9 next the cylinder B are curved upward,-and are-so placed as to clear the periphery of the cylinder B sufficiently to escape the tail of the sheet as it passes them on the direct or printing revolution of the cylinder.

Two series of frictional-surfaced sheet-driving wheels, g 9 two or more of said wheels in each series, are secured respectively upon the shafts g and g, jonrnaled in the frames A. When the distance between the centers of the shafts g and g is greater than the length of the smallest sheet designed to be printed on the machine an additional shaft and series of sheet-driving wheels may be placed between the shafts g and-g and driven in a similar manner, in order that such short sheet shall not be at any part of its travel free from atleast one set of sheet-drivers. The sheet-drivers g and g revolve in contact with the sheet-guides g by means of the belts b and b, the cross belt 1) receiving motion from the pulley 11 secured to the cylinders axis and transmitting motion to the pulley on the shaft 9 The pulleys b b and b are of equal diameters, and the pulleys b and b are so proportioned as to give to the peripheries of the sheet-drivers g and g the same velocity as that of the periphery of the cylinder 13.

The belts b and b are not shown in Fig. 2.

The sheet-guides g are polished upon their upper faces, so that the sheets may slide easily upon them, and the conical frictional peripheries of the sheet-drivers g and g are made of indie-rubber or other suitable frictional substance competent to propel the paper upon the polished surfaces of the sheet-guides g. The conical shape given to the peripheries of the sheet driving wheels 9 and g keeps the sheets tightly stretched crosswise of the press. The sheet-stop a (not shown in Figs. 2 and 3) is I made adjustable for varying sizes of sheet.

The tail edge of the sheet, as delivered upon the fly-board O, strikes against said stop, thus insuring an even pile of paper upon the board. The cylinder B is so proportioned t0 the travel of the bed B as to make a greater rotation than one complete revolution for each single stroke of the bed sufficient to carry the tail end of a full-sized sheet above the points of the sheet-guides g, so that this tail edge of the sheet may enter upon said guides as the cylinder B commencesits retrograderevolution. Thesheetdrivers 9 upon the shaft 9 are placed within a short distance of the cylinder B in order to g by the time the cylinder B'shall have com-' pletedits retrograde movement and the crank G have arrived at its dead pointer center, the object here being to overcome the momentum or end motion ofthe sheetinits passage through the air by bringing it nearly to a state of rest at the time of its release by the sheet-drivers g and thus prevent its being forcibly projected against the sheet-stop a when the machine is run at high speed. The cam F is made adjustable angularly upon the shaft G in order to properly time the operation of the cock F* for longer or shorter sheets. The short puff required to be projected from the apertures h to raise the tail of the sheetupon the points of the sheet-guides g is required to be made about upon the arrival of the tail of any width of sheet near to the points of the guides 9; but as the distance to betraveled by the tail ofa sheet from the points of said guides to the'sheeb drivers 9 is the same for all sizes of sheet (the longer the sheet the longer the time before its tail will arrive at any given point) the time for projecting the air-jets from the perforations It will require to be correspondingly varied. All such variations are effected by simply changing the angular position of the cam F upon the shaft G.

Fig. 4 illustrates in two views a side and end elevation, enlarged, ofthe cylinder B,'showing the details of construction omitted from the other figures for the sake of clearness. The cylinder-grippers K are operated to open and close at the proper time in any of the usual ways. In the said end view of the cylinder, m indicates the tail of the sheet; 0, a very thin strip of steel extending across the cylinder B and stretched tightly in contact with the usual blanket or tympan which covers the cylinder. Said strip 0 is thus stretched by means of slotted clamps O, which may be se- ICO IIO

cured in any position in the circumference of the cylinder B to suit different lengths of sheet by the screws 0 and screw-holes O. The strip of steel 0 is riveted to the clamps O, and the latter fit into grooves-one at each end of the cylinder B-next to the cylinderbearers B These grooves are beveled on their inner sides, as shown, for thepnrpose of stretching tightly the steel strip in contact with the blanket or tympan, all the parts 0 being below the impression-surface of the cylinder B. The thin strip 0 has formed on one of its edges which is toward the tail of the sheet at a series of stationary sheet-supporting fingers, 0, raised up slightly from the cylindersurface. The strip 0, with its sheet supporting fingers O is so placed, depending upon the length of sheet, that the tail m shall lie upon the slightly-raised fingers O and the parts which make the impression, and assnclr parts are alone requir'ed'to be type-high, and

it between the cylinder-surface and the sheet, and

pointsof the guides g are so placed across the press as to come between Tthefingers O. The strip 0 and fingerslO, being placed so that only the points ofthe fingers Oremainunder the tail m of the sheet, on which there is nearly always an unprinted margin, will all 'clearthose are upon the bed, (the chase, furniture, &c., always being on a plane below the surface of the types, except upon lithographic presses, in which the level of the stone-surface extends beyond the design, and to which class of printing this method of supporting the tail of the sheet is not applicable-,) the strip 0 and fingers 0 come in contact with nothing in pass ing through the impression. The object in keeping the tail of the sheet slightly elevated by the fingers O is to insure the entrance of the air-jetsfrom the perforations 71. between the sheet and the surface of the cylinder '13, and therefore the entrance of theatail of the sheet upon the sheet-guides g is assured. A small sl1aft,j, (not shown in Fig. 2,) is journaled on the frames A and carries two or more narrow pressure rollers or wheels, j, which are so placed as to be in line with the sheet'drivers g, running therefore on the unprinted marginsof the paper, and adjusted to bear lightly upon the cylinder-surface or on the sheet passing under them, causing friction thus insuring its being carried backward by the cylinder B during thezcommencement of its retrograde motion, and until the sheet shall have fully entered between the sheet-guides g and the sheet-driving wheels 9. t

The complete operation of the machine is as follows: The sheet is fed to the usual guides from the feed-board O, is taken thence by the cylinder-grippers K just as the cylinder B comps. practically to rest in consequence of the crank G reaching its dead point or center at this time. Correct feeding register is thus insured, all parts connected with the feeding and gripping of the sheet being then in a state of least motion. The crank G now commences to move the bed B upon its forward or printing stroke, the cam 1), through its cone nections heretofore described, having at this point brought down the cylinder B into posilion to make the impression. During this time the cam V has, through its connections already described, raised the plunger 19, and the roller V has passed from the crown of the cam, permitting the weight W to act to depress the plunger 1) at about the completion of the printing-stroke of the bed B, if the sheet be of the full size designed for the machine to print, and the cam F, through its connections already described, causes the cock F to open momentarily between the pipe 19 and the branch pipe 1)? by the roller F passing into the depression f, Fig. 1, of the cam F, projecting jets of air from the perforations h, in pipe 19 under the tail end of the sheet as the cylinder B commencesits retrograde motion. It'ithe sheetbe less than a full-sized one, thetailfof the'sheet will have more or less dis tance to travelbackward'with the cylinder B before reaching the points of the sheet-guides g, andin such cases thecam F is so placed uponthe shaft G as to open the cock F at the proper time. The jets of air from the perforations ltraise-the...sheet to pass upon the.

sheet-giiidesfqf'and between the outer two of said guides (situated under the sidemargins upon the points of the sheet-guidesg the cam F, through its connections, causes the cock F to cut off communication between the pipes 11 and 12 as is shown in Fig. 5, in section, and maintained in that position until the tail m of the sheet has passed along the sheet-guides g under the sheet-drivers 9 when the cam F opens communication between the pipes p and p, when by the further action of theweight -W. jets of air are projected from the perforations it in the pipe 19, supporting the sheet as it passes out over the pile of paper on the flyhoard-Cu'ntil the tail of the sheet at reaches the stop it, when the cam F again closes the cock 1 into the position shown in Fig. 5. The cylinder-grippers K are caused to seize and release the sheet at the proper times by any of the well-known methods, the release in this case being permissible at any time after the tail on has passed upon the points of the guides g and before the head or grippergedgeshall have reached the same point in the retrograde stroke of the bed and cylinder. The sheet, when released by orhaving passed entirely from under the sheet-drivers g", settles by its own gravity quietly down upon the fly-board O or the preceding sheet. t

The principal advantages due to the constructions and combinations above described in this machine are the following: The cylinder is so proportioned that its fractionalppart of a revolution in excess of its complete printin g-revolntion is sufficiently great to bring the tail of a full-sized sheet to a sufficient height above the type line or level of the form at the completion of the printing-stroke of the bed to permit of the sheet being stripped from inexpensive arrangement of parts, which produces the finest kinds of printing without danger of marring the work by contact with parts of the delivery mechanism, which, dispensing with all tapes, cords, or strings, delivers each sheet upon an even pile on the fly-board with the last-printed side upward in plain sight of the pressman, and which accomplishes these results under much higher speeds of press than in those machines involving the use of buffersprings, stop-cylinder, or cylinders revolvingin one direction only. In this machine, also, the crank motion employed for operating the bed and cylinderimpartsto each the smoothest and easiest gradations ofmotion and perfect equality of surface-velocity of bed and cylinder. The diameter of the cylinder is reduced to a minimum, its entire surface or periphery being utilized for making the impression, except the narrow section cut out for containing the grippers and lifter-fingers and the blanket-rods. The sharpest impression possible is thus obtained with a minimum strain upon the machine due to minimum weight'of cylinder. All articulations or looking and unlocking devices,- universal' joints, or other objectionable devices or intermediate gearing between bed and cylinder are dispensed with. The sheets are taken from the feed-board by the cylindergrippers when the cylinder is nearly or practically at rest, insuring thereby accurate feedregister. Each sheet is delivered upon the preceding one under no other or greater pressurethan that due to its own weight when the sheet has been deprived of its end motion through the air.

I do not confine myself to the above-described methods or means of imparting motion to the sheet-driving wheels 9 and g for operating the pumpp or for regulating the air-jets h and h, as any suitable means'may be employed for such purposes.

I am aware that it is not new to rotate the cylinder in one direction only for making the impression and in the reverse direction during the retrogression of the reciprocating bed of the press, the cylinder being driven directly by the bed, and such method'l do not claim; but,

As of my invention, I claim 1. In a cylinder printing-press, a cylinder, stationary sheetguides, frictional -surfaced sheet-driving wheels, and means for forcing two series of jets of air under the sheets of paper in the course of delivery, in combination with means for transmitting motion to said parts, as described, each movement being so timed in relation to the others that one series of air-jets is first forced against the surface of the cylinder under the tail edge of each sheet, and then the sheet is delivered tail first from the top of the cylinder to andbetween said sheet-guides and frictional-surfaced drivingwheels, and finally discharged upon another series of air-jets to the fly-board, all substantially as set forth.

2. In a cylinder printing-press, incombina tion with a reciprocating bed and an impression-cylinder provided with sheet-supporting fingers, and geared to said bed so as to make a greater rotation than "one complete revolution of the cylinder to a single stroke of the bed in each direction, a series of stationary sheet-guides, sheet-driving wheels and jetpipes, and means, substantially as described, for forcing air through said pipes, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a cylinder printing-press, the combination, with the cylinder, of means, substantially as described, for alternately forcing jets of air first under the delivery edge of the sheet to raise it from the cylinder, and then under the body of the sheet to float it in horizontal projection to the delivery-board, whereby the use of tapes, cords, and fly is entirely eliminated from the delivery mechanism, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a cylinder printing-press, in combina tion with the cylinder and secured, thereto, a series of stationary but adjustable sheet-supporting fingers, whereby the margin of the sheet is supported out of contact with the surface of the cylinder,-thereby facilitating the delivery of the sheet, substantially as set forth.

5. In a cylinder printing-press, the combination, withthe cylinder-provided with a se-. ries of stationary but adjustable sheet-supporting fingers,of means forforcing jets of air against the surface of the cylinder between said fingers and under thesheet to be deliv cred, substantially as and'for the purposes set forth.

6. In a cylinder printing-press, the combination, with a series of two or more jet-pipes, of means, substantially as described, for alternately forcing air-jets through said pipes, whereby the edge of the sheet to be delivered is first elevated by one series of jets preparatory'to its delivery and the delivery completed by the support given to the sheet by another series of jets, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JOHN T. HAWKINS.

Witnesses:

G. A. CLEMENT, It. F. WHEELER.

ICC 

